


When bunnies and puppies team up.

by Hectatess



Category: Bunnicula (Cartoon), Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Plotbunnies, Rottweiler puppy based on my own fur baby, Silly, Well except Bunnicula, lots of details about a Dutch Colonial house. I did research and you’ll suffer for it!, no infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27864161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hectatess/pseuds/Hectatess
Summary: Dean and Sam inherit a house from their grandmother. Dean is eager to see it, but his girlfriend Lisa isn’t too happy about it. Dean decides to go anyway, if only to see what needs to be fixed before they sell the house.When he gets there he finds three things: one-he doesn’t want to sell. Two-apparently they have a tenant and three-they also inherited a pet.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester, past Dean/Lisa
Comments: 31
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ages ago, I was joking around with my friends in the Fanfic Authors Gone Wild Discord server, when my brain took the screen name of one of them, Captain Bunnicula, and made off with it. 
> 
> I loved the Bunnicula cartoon and since that silly bunny has supernatural powers, it would be hilarious to mix him with our boys. 
> 
> Only thing is: my Muse didn’t like Bunnicula in Canonverse. So she made a new one.
> 
> Summer passed and Hannah from the same server started a Secret Santa. Guess who my giftee was... You got it, Captain Bunnicula! So, I finished the story, made art to accompany it, and now we have it all on AO3.  
> Enjoy! (And sorry for the long babble)

“C’mon Dean… this is ridiculous.” Sam was using his ‘I’m the younger, but wiser one’ voice. Dean hated it. He knew he could do this. “Sammy,” he rumbled. “Don’t you start on me! I had enough of that with Lisa. Granny Millie left us the house. We should try and make it more habitable. Maybe live there.”

Sam sighed. “Dean…” Dean had enough. It was his decision and no amount of opposition from either his little brother or his girlfriend would change it. “No, Sam. I won’t hear it. We have lived in Bobby’s over-the-garage apartment since dad wrapped his rented truck around a boulder somewhere in rural Pennsylvania, and even Bobby agrees that this is too small for us, should Lis want to move in.”

Which Dean was less than comfortable with. He liked Lisa, of course he did, but… moving in? That was a big step. Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder. “Anyway, I’m gonna check it out tomorrow. If you wanna stay, I ain’t stopping ya. If you wanna come with, more than fine.” 

Sam grumbled and dropped it with one last remark. “Just make sure you’re not getting in over your head.” 

oooOooo

Dean licked his lips as he stared up at the building. It was a large Dutch Colonial style house, and he could already see that just a coat of paint would definitely not suffice. The eaves of the roof were in deplorable state, some of the window frames looked rotten through as well. The grout between the brick was crumbling a bit, the beautiful wraparound porch had a sagging roof and some of the big stone pillars had several cracks, not to mention that the stone steps up looked precarious at the least. Dean pulled out the old-fashioned key and carefully set a foot on the first step. It was surprisingly solid. 

Inside it looked a lot better. The tiled floor in the entryway was a bit dirty, but Dean couldn’t see any cracked tiles, and the slim lines of grout looked well cared for. To his left he could see a staircase going up. Several old-fashioned doors were set in the walls and Dean was itching to find out what was behind each. Since there was a firm layer of dust on the one under the stairs, Dean decided to start opposite of that. It was probably just a closet or something and he wasn’t curious about how many mice had died in there. So, he turned right and turned the porcelain handle on the first door.

It was the toilet. While a bit outdated, it was clean and still in good working condition. A tiny washing basin was placed in a corner, and a flask of lavender scented liquid soap stood on the ledge next to it. The tap had one knob and as he turned it, clear cold water gushed out. That would take some getting used to, but all in all it was a good toilet room. 

The next, double, doors yielded a large wardrobe-like closet with a rod that still held a few clothes hangers. One of which carried a no-nonsense, sturdy ladies coat. Even though he never knew their grandma Millie, Dean thought he might have liked her. Everything he’d seen here made her out to be of a level-headed, practical nature, but with a bit of a dreamer side, that got exposed by the delicate woodwork cut out in the closet door frame. It looked like Briar Roses castle wall after 100 years of sleep.

On the shelf over the rod, a couple of boxes were gathering dust. Dean sighed. He guessed he would find little hints of his grandma’s life like this all over the house. He closed the doors on the wardrobe and walked to the next door. Now he got further into the house he saw a little sitting area at the far end of the hallway, complete with a small hearth. He smiled. The chairs and sofa might be covered in dust sheets, but he could see himself there on a cold winter's day, maybe a girl, or guy, sitting next to him, or in the other chair…


	2. Chapter 2

He shook his head. Dreams and fantasies… He should focus on the now. Carefully he opened the last door at the right hand side. “Oh wow…” The room was gigantic. A stove covered a whole wall on its own. A work counter ran all along the back wall, sunlight streaming over it from the windows above it. In the middle of the opposite wall, a single door opened into an equally large room. An eight person dining set stood in the middle of it and little side tables lined the walls. In one of the walls, a hearth was set, mantle tastefully decorated with the same delicate woodwork as the closet frame in the hall. The window wasn’t overly large, but daylight was pouring in and gave the room a warm glow. To Dean’s surprise, a large door was set in the wall he figured was between this room and the hallway. But he’d checked all doors on that side… Curious, Dean pulled open the door, which was quite heavier than he would have thought. Thicker too. Almost a foot thick, if he was any judge. He stepped through and gasped. He was indeed back in the hallway. He turned towards the door and a grin spread on his face. The wardrobe had fully turned inward to open up to the dining room. “Awesome,” he breathed. “Granny Millie, I love your house already.”

He examined the door again, noticing the little woodwork rose in the outer frame that was probably the doorknob. He pulled on it and the door slid shut, a soft click the only indication it was locked again. Dean tried turning the rose, and the same click sounded. Perfect. He let go of the rose and turned to the other side of the hallway. The door opposite the one to the kitchen stood slightly ajar, and Dean pushed it open.

A sitting room even bigger than the dining room lay before Dean. All furniture was again covered in blankets, but Dean could see the layout perfectly. Again a hearth dominated the largest wall, Delft blue tiles drawing the eye to it. Bookshelves lined the walls without windows and Dean suddenly wondered if Sam got his bookish ways from Granny Millie or Grampa Henry. Damn, the nerd would love this place. He turned to the wall at the back of the house. If this was mirrored to the dining room and the kitchen like he suspected, there should be… another door. Dean grinned to himself. 

To call this room a study would be inadequate. Yet it was clear that that was its purpose. A big wooden desk stood at Dean’s right hand side, catching the rays of the sun just so. Opposite, yet another hearth with chairs in front of it. “Wow, gran… you were a homebody, weren’t you?” The desk was big and sturdy, and he could imagine sitting there, laptop open, taking care of the finances. “Better check the last doors. It’s getting dark out already,” he muttered to himself. He went back to the hallway and flipped the switch for the lights. An art-deco chandelier sprang to life, bathing the hallway in a warm, yellow light. The double patio door in the back of the hallway drew his eye, but he decided to finish looking through the house first. 

The next door yielded another closet, this one more a pantry. Dean opened the door closest to the front door and was surprised to find stairs, leading down. It seemed the house had a cellar… He flipped the switch at the top of the stairs and gingerly stepped down. 

The single Edison bulb at the end of the stairs gave the room a cavernous feeling and Dean got a bit uneasy. It looked like any old cellar. Shelves around the walls, dusty jars with unidentifiable contents lining them, and to Dean’s surprise a bundle of rather fresh looking carrots. It hung just at the edge of the circle of light. 

Curious, he walked over. His eyes got a bit used to the low lighting and noticed some kind of cage in the very corner. A dark shape was hunched inside. Oh gods… had Gran Millie died, leaving a pet? The poor critter! It had been nearly five days since Dean got the call. Either it had followed Gran in her death, or it was very near it. 

He squinted at the vague shape, thinking it looked a bit like a bunny. Well, that would explain the carrots. Dean carefully tore one off the bundle and pushed it through the bars until it lay just in front of the critter. At first nothing happened, but suddenly ears popped up and eyes opened. A tentative nose stretched towards the vegetable and Dean felt so sorry for the poor thing.

He squatted next to the cage. “Hey there, little buddy. Hungry?” There was a soft snuffling sound and then something that was best described as ‘Mjom’. After that, nothing. Worried, Dean bent closer and opened the wire door. “Hey little fella. C’mon. Give me a reaction. Lemme know you ain’t dead…” The critter gave a kind of satisfied growl. Dean quickly withdrew his hand and closed the door again. Well. That thing was alive… “I’m gonna check the rest of the house, bud. I’m gonna leave you another carrot, and check on you before I leave.” He pushed another carrot through the bars and backed off as the singular ‘Mjom’ sounded again. It kinda creeped him out. “Right. Be back soon, Buddy,” Dean said falsely cheerful. He wanted to see what was at the back of the house before it really got dark. Plus he needed to check upstairs. The cellar stairs creaked under his weight as he ascended them. 


	3. Chapter 3

Deciding to definitely finish his indoors check first, Dean made his way upstairs. The stairs made a ninety degree corner, where Gran Millie had hung a small mirror in a wooden frame there. At first Dean thought it was a window and someone was watching him. After realising what it was, he scoffed and leaned in. Seeing his face, Dean grimaced. He looked spooked and scared. The thing with the pet and then thinking he was being watched, had made him a bit paranoid. Turning away from the mirror, he continued his way. 

The landing was spacious and open towards the back, making it one big balcony that oversaw the sitting nook at the back door. Dean leaned on the balustrade to look down, and sighed. It would be so awesome to live here. No way in any of the planes of existence that he could sell it. Maybe Sam could be swayed if he would get a bigger bedroom. Hopeful, Dean crossed the landing and pushed open a door. It looked like the bedroom took up half of the depth of the house. It was huge, with windows in the walls facing the front yard and the side yard. Either side of the window were built in closets, one holding stacks of bed linens. The bed itself looked beautiful as well as big. He eyed and sized it, thinking it might even fit his yeti-sized brother. To be sure, he lay down on it. He tossed and turned, stretched and happily hummed when he didn’t even get a toe over the edge in his most stretched out position. Sam would fit, and he would finally have a double bed!

Curious whether they would need to buy a new bed to make one of the other rooms a guest room, he got up and went to the adjacent room. It was a mirror of the one he just left. Big bed, two windows letting in plenty of light, even just before dusk. Wondering what kind of room would be at the very front, Dean opened the third door. 

“Wow,” he breathed. It was a spacious bathroom with a double washing vanity and a big bathtub, a toilet and even a built in closet for the towels. Impressed, Dean walked to the last door on the landing, right next to the stairs. He let his hand slide over the balustrade that kept you from tumbling head over ass down and sighed again. Sturdy craftsmanship, like the whole house. If he was lucky, most of the work would be on the outside. 

The last door opened and Dean did a double take. A huge room, with a soft looking double bed under the sidewall window. The walls were a dreamy light-blue with a cream coloured, waist high panelling. The bed was sturdy, light wood and had just the two pillows. No frills, no lace. It seemed Dean was a lot like his paternal grandmother. No nonsense, but a bit of decorating was ok, as the woodcarving on the headboard betrayed. It was the same rose pattern as on the door jambs all over the house. Dean let his fingers wander over a single rosebud, loving the smooth feeling. Then he turned towards the front of the house, finding another door wedged between two big, built in closets. Even if this was another study, Dean would love it. 

It turned out to be a master bathroom, making the adjacent room the master bedroom. To his right, Dean found a shower big enough for two. To his right a little wall jutted out just enough to have anyone doing their business on the toilet there, do so in private. Right in front of him a large tub was sunk into the floor. The washing vanity was broad and had plenty of space for all the toiletries for two. Too bad Lisa was adamantly refusing to even come look at the place. Dean tried to imagine her in the house, but his mind didn’t want to cooperate. All he could picture was him and Sam, sitting at the hearth downstairs in the hallway. That wasn’t a good sign. He should talk to Lisa. 

Mind occupied with Lisa and his inability to see them living together, Dean left the room and made his way to the window that gave him a view of the back yard. It was now dusk outside and even the fact that he saw a smaller house a way back in the yard didn’t much entice him to go out. Until a light switched on in one of the downstairs rooms. Had someone squatted in there? 

Dean hurriedly descended the stairs and made his way to the patio doors. As he opened them, a streak of white and black zoomed past him. “What the…?!” He focussed on it and saw long ears and a poofy tail. The pet! Had he forgotten to close the cage?

The pet, clearly a bunny with the way it hopped around, was a blurry, bouncing dot of white in the gathering darkness, but it obviously beelined for the little white house at the end of the yard. “Bunny! Come back here!” Dean hissed, but the critter ignored him and hopped on. “Geez! Does this thing have night vision?” Dean grumbled and went into pursuit. As he turned a corner around a hedge of tall firs, his heart stopped. Standing nose to nose with the bunny, was a young Rottweiler pup. It couldn’t be more than 4 months old.  _ ‘Oh shit. That dog is gonna rip the bunny to shreds!’  _ Dean thought and wanted to grab the dog by its purple collar. 

The dog didn’t even notice him. It kept standing nose to nose with the bunny, but Dean saw that neither seemed very tense. It was almost as if they were having a nice little chat. He was so caught up in the animals, that he never heard the door open and footsteps getting near. 

“Lily? What do you have there?” a gravelly voice rumbled, making Dean jump. “Oh hello Bunnicula! How on Earth did you get out?” A guy, almost as tall as Dean himself, bent down to pet the bunny.

Dean swallowed. “That might have been my fault,” he admitted sheepishly. “Dean Winchester.” He held out his hand. 

The other man’s head snapped up at the sound of Dean’s voice. Even in the low dusky light, his eyes were startlingly blue, and Dean was mesmerised. “Oh!” the man exclaimed, sounding startled. “Hello Dean. I’m Castiel Novak. I rent… used to rent this cottage from Millie. I take it she was your grandmother? You’re too young to be her son, plus I thought she called him John.” 

Ah. So no squatter. What a relief. “You got it on the nose, bud. Dad passed away a few years back, and we never had Gran’s address. Otherwise we would have told her, of course.” Then his brain caught up with his ears. “Wait… used to? You don’t rent it anymore?”

Castiel lowered his head. “Well, yes,” he mumbled. “I paid until the first of the next month, but with Millie’s passing, I don’t think my rent will be continued.” Dean watched the pup and the bunny for a bit, then sighed. “Well, it is up to Sam too, but if I’m honest, I don't want to sell. We could allow you to stay here. Do you have a copy of your rental agreement?”

The blue eyes lit up and a genuine smile crinkled their corners. “Yes, of course. Do come in Dean.” He whistled for his dog, who looked them both over, booped her nose against the bunny’s and trotted to the door. The bunny gave an odd little sound and hopped right on in after her. 

“What the…” Dean managed, as the small, black and white body hopped past the threshold. Castiel shrugged. “My Lilith and Bunnicula have been friends from their first meeting. Once I said it was ok for him to come in, he hopped in almost nightly. When he didn’t show last week…” His deep voice tapered off and Dean suddenly realised that Castiel must have been the one who found Gran Millie.

“I’m sorry, Cas,” he mumbled. “That must’ve been a shock.” Castiel blinked at him. “Cas?” He asked, tilting his head. Dean bit his lip. That may or may not have been the single most adorable thing he’d ever seen a grown man do. “Sorry. I tend to give nicknames,” Dean explained with a blush. 

“I like it,” Cas decided. “And finding her like that was a bit unexpected, I agree. But Millie had passed in her sleep, peaceful and tranquil. The smile on her face, Dean… beautiful. So sweet. I feel sad that she is gone, but I’m happy she went like this.” He motioned for Dean to take a seat and sank down on the sofa opposite him.

Lily, the Rottweiler pup, lay down with her head on one of Cas’ feet, and he smiled warmly at her. The bunny, Bunnicula, Dean recalled, hopped right onto Dean’s lap, almost as if it could fly. “Bunnicula… what a strange name,” he pondered, making Cas chuckle. “Why on earth would Gran call her bunny that?”

Cas shrugged. “She said it was because of the batwing-like markings on his back. To be frank, your grandmother was a bit of an oddball in that regard. She swore that supernatural things kept happening in her house, and that the bunny was part of most of them.” He shrugged. “I am a bit of an oddball myself, so I didn’t mind in the least. I never really saw any of the occurrences, but I am open minded enough to accept that there might have been something going on.”

Dean smiled as he petted the bunny. The thought of this adorable little fluff ball being part of anything weird was just preposterous. The bunny made a little noise and the pup lifted her head with a soft ruff. Both animals looked at each other and kept making these adorable little noises, as if they were talking. Lily wagged her tail and Bunnicula twitched his nose. If anything, they both looked smug. “So,” Dean broke the awkward moment where he and this cute man were both just staring at a bunny and a dog. “Contract… can you find it?”


	4. Chapter 4

Cas hopped to it and Dean watched him cross the room. Damn, those tight jeans did wonders for Cas’ butt. No. Bad Dean! No ogling your potential tenant/neighbour. The bunny in his lap stirred and made more soft noises, which got Lily to start ruffing and give tiny bark-like noises too. “Alright,” Dean hissed at them. “I’ll behave. Plus I have a girlfriend. Ish,” he added, as he suddenly remembered Lisa was unwilling to move in and he was unable to imagine her in the big house just across the yard.

“What was that?” Cas’ sexy voice suddenly interrupted. “Nothing. Just ehm… trying to keep the animals quiet,” Dean answered, blushing. The animals did  _ not _ shut up. If anything, the noise level went up. 

Cas chuckled. ‘Lilith…. shush!” he admonished and with accusing puppy eyes, Lily put her head between her tan paws. “Here, my rental agreement. Do you know about the legal side of this all?” Dean took out his phone and smiled. 

“No. But my brother Sam is almost done with his law degree. He can take a gander at it.” He brandished his phone. “Mind if I photograph it? Then you keep the original safe and sound.”

Again that warm smile graced those fine features. “That is very smart thinking, Dean. Thank you.” Cas’ blue eyes caught Dean’s and he got lost in them. Such a vivid colour. Cas licked his bottom lip with a tiny tip of his tongue. Gods, that looked hot. Dean swallowed. “Ehm…” Cas started, snapping Dean’s attention to the whole face again. “Can I get you a drink? I have a cold beer if you like.”

Dean nodded stupidly, then found his voice again. “Please. I’ll send the pictures to Sam once I take them.” Cas smiled again, one side of his mouth ticking up a tiny bit higher than the other. He offered Dean the dining table to use for taking the pictures, saying it would be easier on the back. Dean thanked him and carefully put Bunnicula to the floor. The bunny hopped over to Lily and snuggled against her side. Lily rolled her eyes up and gave a long, drawn out groan, but didn’t move a muscle otherwise. 

Dean shot a clear picture of every page and sent them to Sam, full size. His phone rang not one minute later. “Dean, what the hell?”

Dean gratefully took the cold beer from Cas and clinked it with the bottom to Cas’ own. “Hey Sammy.”

“Don’t ‘Hey Sammy’ me, Dean Michael Winchester. What the hell is this?” his brother grumbled.

“What it looks like, Sam. Gran had a tenant.” Dean answered and took a swig of his beer. Damn, that was just what he needed. He smacked his lips and sighed a soft ‘ahh’. 

“Dean, we can’t just evict this poor guy…”

Dean put his beer down and urgently interrupted. “Whoa, whoa whoa. I never said that, Sam. I want you to look into it, correct any mistakes and see if we can take over the contract.”

Something fell to the floor with a clatter and Sam cussed. “You what? Goddamnit, Dean!” Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sam…”

“No! You said you were going up there to assess the repairs needed. Not to just decide to keep a whole house!” Sam ranted, and Dean had to admit the boy had a point. Cas was tilting his head in that adorable questioning way again and Dean licked his lips. He suddenly felt very tired and just wanted to finish his beer and sleep. “Sam… it’s Saturday evening, I had a long ass drive and just inspected a big old house, met an unexpected pet, an equally unexpected tenant and I’m beat! I’m going to go to the house, make a bed and sleep. Tomorrow you can come over and see for yourself. Ok?” Sam begrudgingly agreed, and said he would check out the rental agreement as well, before coming over. 

Cas was patiently sipping his beer all through the call, severely distracting Dean with his pink lips around the mouth of the bottle, his long neck as he tilted his head back to drink and those long fingers wrapped around the condensed bottleneck. Dean cleared his throat. “Ahem. You probably caught some of that. I’m going to sleep, and then tomorrow, Sam will come over too.” He smiled awkwardly and drained his beer. “I really hope we can keep you.” At Cas’ confused blink, Dean realised what he had said and blushed deeply. “As a tenant, I mean. Ehm. Right.” He looked around to hide his embarrassment. “Bunnicula, are you coming with me?” The bunny sat up on its hind legs and sniffed the air. He nudged the sleeping pup and hopped along to the door. “Guess that’s my answer. Night, Cas!”

Cas smiled warmly and bid him good night.


	5. Chapter 5

After a great night of sleep in one of the spare rooms (Gran had died in her sleep and Dean was not about to sleep on the same mattress, thank you very much. That was unsanitary.) Dean got a nice breakfast at a local diner and started cleaning house. After dusting, sweeping, vacuuming and mopping the floors, Dean started to take the dust covers off the furniture. It all looked sturdy and fit perfectly with the house. 

He was just admiring the little sitting nook in the hallway, when a knock came to the front door. Dean smirked. He’d studied the peculiar little latch on the door and was now ready to tease Sam. He opened the latch and let the top half of the Dutch door fall open. “Heya, Sammy,” he greeted. Sam, who had been studying the pillars and roof of the porch, turned around and blinked. Dean was leaning with his arms on the still closed bottom half of the door. 

“Dean…” Sam started, then sighed. “Ok. I’ll admit. That is cool. May I enter now?” Dean grinned and opened the door fully, sliding the latch back to make it whole again. Sam looked around the hall. “Wow,” he sighed. “This looks amazing! Way better than the outside would have you think.” His eyes fell on the little sitting area Dean had been admiring just now and he sighed. “Imagine sitting there on a cold night, fire banked, reading a…” He stopped talking at the smug grin Dean wore. “I’ll have to see the rest of the house first,” he grumbled. Dean lead the way and his grin kept growing as Sam’s grudging apreciation became more and more just simple admiration. “Oh my… this is so cool!” he gasped as Dean demonstrated the secret door into the hall.

Upstairs, Sam almost dove onto the bed Dean had used, trying every position he could think off, and curling up into a little (well, not so little) ball of happiness when he realised this bed was large enough for him. “The other room has the same bed, Sam. So you can take your pick,” Dean smirked, looking at the tousled locks that peeked from under the burrito Sam had made with the duvet. “I’m ordering a new mattress for the master bedroom, though. Cas said Gran had died in her bed, so…” 

Sam sat up, mussed like a kid who played hide and seek in their parents bed. “Right, Cas…” Sam’s face got serious. “We’d better get going and finish this tour. We need to talk with the guy.” Dean showed him the bathroom and the masters. “You take your time thinking about how you’re gonna tell me I was right and we’re moving in, while I’m checking up on Bunnicula,” Dean smugly said. 

Sam frowned. “Bunnicula? Who the hell is Bunnicula and why do they need checking up on?” Dean bit his lip. He’d purposely glanced over the cellar with a mere ‘that’s the cellar, nothing much to see there.’ because of the bunny. Sam was peculiar with animals. He loved them all, and Dean didn’t want Sam to feel like Dean had tricked him into keeping the house by using the bunny. He waved Sam along and they walked downstairs. Predictably, Sam adored the bunny from the very first nose wiggle, and he promised the bunny that he would bring it and its home to ground level once they moved in. Dean gave him a carrot to feed Bunnicula, and the bunny happily did his ‘one chomp-mjom’ routine on it in the darkest corner of its cage. 

They walked through the, admittedly slightly overgrown, garden to the guest house. Sam sighed when they rounded the fir hedge. This house was less overwhelming at first glance, Dean had to admit, seeing it proper for the first time. It was whitewashed, a bit smaller than Gran’s place and with a red brick chimney jutting up alongside the wall. The door had a quaint rounded top and a tiny window in it. Dean knocked, not daring to pull the knob for the bell. The door opened and there Cas was. Still the bedhead and pink lips and oh so blue eyes… Dean swallowed. “Dean! Hello! And this is your brother Sam, I presume?” Cas babbled, holding out a hand. Sam shook it with a smile. “You made good time. How far did you have to travel?”

Sam gave Dean a quick wink, meaning he knew that Cas was exactly what Dean liked, and Dean scowled at him. “From Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I took a very early flight. Dean worried me a bit.” He cast his brother another knowing glance. “But I saw he was fine and also very right. We couldn’t sell this house.” Cas smiled and invited them in. Now that it was daytime and he wasn't overwhelmed by a cute guy living in his guest house, Dean let his eyes wander around the house. It was of the same sturdy build as the main house, but the decoration was more open, lighter. He could appreciate it, but preferred the more rustic set up in the main house. 

Lily gave a few, surprisingly deep, barks at their entrance, but soon she was wagging her tail and almost crawling into Dean. “Lily…” Cas admonished, and the puppy cast him a defiant glance before treating Sam the exact same way. “Lilith!” Cas’ voice was suddenly commanding and both the pup and Dean snapped their attention to him. “Crate!” Lily slunk towards her crate and sat down with a dejected air. “That’s my good girl,” Cas purred at the dog, who wagged her tail carefully. “Now, down.” Lily lay down and sighed, big brown puppy dog eyes trained on Cas. Cas smiled and petted her, slipping her a treat while he praised her and said she was such a big girl already. Dean bit his lip and managed a smile when Cas looked up from his wayward pup. “I’m sorry. I’m still training her to not bowl over guests. She’s going to be between 77 and 105 pounds, so I thought I would start early with that specific training” He straightened and Dean definitely wasn't checking him out… Ok he was, sue him. The guy was delectable. “So, can I get you a drink before we get down to business?” Cas asked kindly. “I have coffee, tea and some soda’s. I think two pm is a bit too early for beers, though.”

Sam accepted a tea, while Dean opted for coffee. “So, Cas,” Sam said, once they sat down. “I took the six plus hours on the plane to read over your agreement, and I see no reason why we can’t continue this. It’ll need a few little adjustments, like scratching Gran Millie’s name and putting Dean’s and mine in, so if you and Dean want to go over those with me…” He produced a stack of papers, which turned out to be the pictures Dean had sent, all blown up to legal size, and some bits were underlined and adjusted with a red pen. Sam was almost a real lawyer now, and it showed. Dean couldn’t be more proud of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam and Cas were bent over the stack of papers, and Dean quietly grabbed their cups and did a refill. He allowed his eyes to wander over the kitchen, again more modernised than the main house, and the living room. He definitely did not linger on the broad shoulders and strong thighs Cas had on display. Ok, he did. But Cas looked like a wet dream, so who could really blame Dean? He wasn’t made of stone. As if his wandering eyes had set off an alarm, his phone binged with a message from Lisa, saying she was going to call in two minutes, so he’d better make sure to answer. He excused himself and took it to the back yard. 

“Dean,” Lisa said, and her tone of voice was very serious.

“Hey, Lis,” Dean answered. “What’s wrong?”

“I came over to talk to you,” Lisa set off, and Dean could hear a rant coming. “ I thought maybe we could have a bit of brunch at the Roadhouse, and Bobby tells me you and Sam are in Illinois. What is up with you? I said I didn’t want to go to your grandmother’s house.” 

Dean bristled. 

When he had set out, he didn’t exactly go here to move in. “And I told  _ you  _ that I needed to assess the state of the property. I never said I was going to move here. But, since you mentioned it…. I do love this place.”

Lisa sighed loudly. “Dean, My life is here. I can’t just up and move six hours away. And how about you? You can’t do that either… you got a good job with Bobby. Who knows if there is even a job for you in Illinois.”

“First things first, Lisa,” Dean said, and he mentally prepared himself for the next bit. “Would you move in if we still lived in Sioux Falls?”

Lisa was silent for a bit, then sighed deeply. “Dean… we’d be horribly cramped in that tiny apartment,” she started, but Dean cut her off.

“I didn’t say in the apartment. Just… in Sioux Falls. Anywhere in Sioux Falls.”

Lisa said nothing, although Dean could hear her start a few times. “Well?” he asked, not unkindly. 

“Dean, I- I don’t see...“ Lisa faltered, but Dean knew enough. “Yeah,” he answered in a resigned tone. “Me neither. Don’t worry, Lis. I ain’t mad. I think… I think it was coming anyway, but this housing thing just sped it up.”

Lisa sighed and Dean could picture her, biting her lip. “So,” she said slowly. “This… this is it?” Dean shrugged. “I guess so,” he said, running a hand through his hair. As break-ups went, this was his weirdest yet. 

The soft chuckle on the other side was unexpected. “I must say, Dean… it’s a relief. I mean,” Lisa sighed yet again. “It was good. What we had was good… But it was also stuck.”

Dean nodded to his phone. “I know. We just didn’t grow anymore. So? Kinda… friends?” He couldn’t think of how that would go.

Dean could hear the smile in her answer. “No… but I won’t look back and hate you. And I’d say ‘hi’ if we passed on the streets.” Dean smiled in return. “Same. Thanks, Lis, for not making this a big drama. Guess I’ll see you around.”

Lisa chuckled softly. “See you, Dean. Stay safe there.” Dean ended the call and stepped back in the house. 

Sam looked up from his papers and his face was pure worried questions. “Dean… are you ok?” Dean slid into his chair and blinked at his little brother. “Yeah… I think I just broke up.” Sam didn’t answer immediately and Dean curiously looked at his face. It was oddly blank. “Wow,” Sam said, nodding. “That was sooner than I thought. But ok. Best to start over fresh all together. New home, new job, new chances at a partner.” Dean nodded in agreement. 

Cas stared from one Winchester to another. “You are both remarkably calm. Dean… you were in a relationship with this person. You must care about them.” Dean shook his head, taken aback by the sudden urgency in that gravelly voice. “I do. But, Lisa and I… we grew apart I guess. She gave me grief about coming over here, and when I asked her if she would move in if we would live in Sioux Falls, she fell silent. So I guess… it was done anyway.” 

Sam frowned and started chewing his pencil. “You… asked her to move in? In our tiny place?” Dean chuckled, but Cas only looked more confused. “If you asked her to move in, how were you growing apart? You must have wanted her with you.” Dean’s chuckling evolved into a laugh.

“Nah.” Dean looked at each of them in turn. “I gave her a hypothetical situation. If we were still living in Sioux Falls, anywhere in Sioux Falls, would she move in. She couldn’t answer. And to be honest, I couldn’t have answered her if she had wanted to know if I meant it. I think we both realised we didn’t picture a future together. So, it ended there.” 

Cas tilted his head. “A strange way of handling this.” It didn’t sound shocked, or disgusted. Just curious and a bit confused. Sam didn’t look upset either. His face was shrewd and he looked from Dean to Cas. Dean shook his head at them

“Not so much, Cas,” he explained. “It was coming for a while now. We were stuck. Our relationship stopped growing, evolving. We were together because it felt… Comfortable. Like an old pair of shoes. Worn in, and you just know how they fit. But there’s tearing at the stitches, the sole is almost worn out and you lost the aglets on your laces ages ago.” Sam snorted in laughter at the analogy, but Cas was nodding, his blue eyes understanding. 


	7. Chapter 7

Sam threw his hands up. “So… before we adapt this contract, is there anything we need to know about the cottage? Leaks? Faulty wiring? Maybe neglected maintenance?” Cas smiled and then held out his hand. “Hello, Castiel Novak, of Novak repairs and renovations. Me and my brother Gabriel are the owners. Gabriel is the brains, where I do the work. Millie hired us to do the much needed upkeep on the houses.”

That explained the well-cared for look on the cottage and the inside of the main house. And Castiel’s impressive musculature. Dean swallowed as his brain provided a nice image of Cas, bent over to fix something in the house. He cleared his throat, trying to make his mind behave. Sam chuckled as he shook Cas’ hand. “Hmhm.. I see. Did you do the wood carvings in Nanna’s house?”

It earned him a delighted smile. “I’m honoured that you think so. Not the ones on the door jambs, but I did copy the style for Millie’s bed.” Impressed, Dean nodded. Cas sighed though, and his face saddened. “I was supposed to start work on the outside once the weather cleared up.”

Dean cast Sam a glance, and he got a nod in return. Sam put a hand on Cas’ shoulder and smiled at him. “Nanna left us her savings too, so we might just be able to keep you and your brother on for renovations. We just need to see the quotation.”

Dean chuckled and tried not to look too much at the strong arms. “Yeah. That’s gonna look so much better than when I would try an fix shit up. I’m a mechanic, not a handyman.” Sam blinked at him, and Dean read him like a book. Bobby had taught them both more than mere mechanics. Although Sam didn’t really have the aptitude for it, Dean was a star student. So if Dean could patch up the old apartment, the house wouldn’t be a problem.

Cas smiled indulgently, looking Dean in the eye and Dean felt a blush keep up. He stared back, lost in the different shades of blue in those pretty eyes. Sam suddenly became very interested in the paperwork. “I’m sure your repairs would be adequate, Dean. You seem like you are good with your hands.” Was that a double entendre, or not? Dean licked his lips.

Suddenly, Lily dashed from her crate, tail wagging hard enough to swing her fluffy butt from side to side. She gave a surprisingly deep bark, but her whole being radiated joy. Cas chuckled and told her to go back to her crate. The pup hung her head, but went. Cas opened the door and in stepped a ball of pure energy. He was short. Way shorter than any of the others there. “Cassie! Baby bro! Where are those penny pinchers who thought they were gonna throw you out?”

Sam glanced at Dean, who shrugged. Cas rolled his eyes hard enough for his head to join in. “Gabriel… I never said they were going to throw me out. I said they were the new owners of the big house and we would review the agreement.” In her crate, Lily gave a short whine. “Alright, Lily… go and say hi…” Cas indulgently said, glaring at his brother. “You’d deserve it if she peed on your shoes,” Cas grumbled.

Lily dashed from her crate and her little body swung to and fro with joy. Gabriel sank to his knees and opened his arms for an embrace. The dog all but leapt at him and started licking him all over, making the short guy laugh and try to not get a long tongue shoved in his mouth. “Lilith, oh Lilith. Yeeesss… you’re my cute wittle floof butt.” Lily went nuts and turned around and around, licking everywhere she could reach. “Alright girl, I know I’m irresistible, but now uncle Gabe needs to check out the… hel-lo!” He eyed Sam up and down and smacked his lips.

Dean pursed his lips and cleared his throat. The shorter man looked at him and smirked. “Well, old Millie knew how to pick them! These are fine specimens of mankind!” To Dean’s surprise, and a bit to his dismay, Sam actually blushed.

“Dean Winchester,” he said, holding out his hand. “My brother, Sam. Millie was our grandma. We only learned about her death when the letter from the notary came. Dad didn’t believe in staying in touch with his family. So we didn’t know how to contact her after the old man died.” 

Gabriel shook Dean’s hand and tilted his head in a way that showed he was definitely Cas’ brother. “Wow. Harsh. But now you wanna sell the house?” Those golden eyes seemed almost eager. Dean bristled. Did this guy  _ want _ to make Sam and him the bad guys?

“Dude, no!” Sam suddenly piped up. “Dean and I just got here, but we already love the place. Although… for me… I like this just a bit better.” Dean shook his head. Sam always did like more modern settings than Dean did.

Gabriel nodded thoughtfully. “I can see that. Cassie would gladly give an arm and a leg to live in a place like Millie’s, but I’m like: dude, bro… the creature comforts! The bubble bath… the semi-professional kitchen… why give those up?”

Dean felt distinctly annoyed and he caught Cas glowering at Gabe as well. “The big house is plenty comfortable, Gabriel. Why are you so nasty about it? I made sure Millie had everything she could need.” Cas sounded both annoyed and hurt, and it shouldn’t make Dean feel protective, but it damned well did. 

“And we thank you for that, buddy,” Dean assured the blue eyed man. “Right, Sammy?” Sam blinked and nodded absentmindedly. That boy needed a nap. A plane flight took a lot out of a body. Another reason Dean stuck to driving his Baby around. “Right, have we dotted the I’s here, Sam? You were up early and had a long flight.”

Lily raised her head from where she had been lying down. She gave a startled little sound and got to her feet. Her little paws padding across the floor, she made her way to the door. “Oh, hon… do you need a walk?” The loving, caring tone Cas used struck a chord in Dean and he swallowed. So not the time to go lusting after his tenant! He only just broke up!

_ But you were barely together as it was, _ his brain argued.

**Shut up brain!** Dean argued back.  **We still dated!**

_ But you know you were drifting apart, you knew weeks ago.  _

Dean wanted to deny, but his stupid brain was right. Even before the arguments about the house, Dean lately had easily told Lisa ‘no’ for a date because he wanted a night at home, or to go out with Vic and Ash. He never cheated or knowingly flirted, but the fact that he brushed Lisa off spoke volumes.

“Gabriel,” Cas piped up, breaking through Dean’s pondering. “You can unpack while Lily and I escort Sam and Dean home and take our walk.” Gabriel smirked, but waved them on their way. Sam sauntered along, obviously dragging his feet. Dean looked back at him with worry, and even Cas seemed troubled. “Your brother seems… dazed. He should take a long nap,” the dark haired cutie sincerely told Dean. Dean nodded. Sam was definitely out of sorts.


	8. Chapter 8

Lily started tugging on her leash, pulling Cas along. As young as the pup was, she actually dragged Cas forward. “Strong puppy,” Dean commented, watching Cas tug Lily back with a harsh ‘Stop that!’. The pup stopped pulling for a bit, but she kept looking at the big house and then back at Cas, as if she wanted to tell him to get over there.

“She is,” Cas answered Dean’s observation. “And she’s just a pup. She’s going to be so much stronger grown up, and that’s why I don’t want her pulling on the leash.” Another sudden lunge and the leather leash slipped from Cas’ fingers. “Lily!” he called, but the pup was off like a streak of black-and-tan lightning and ran full tilt at the double doors of the big house.

“I think I might have left them ajar,” Sam said, just as Dean was afraid the dog would barrel into the glass. Lilly slowed, pawed at the seam of the doors and wriggled inside. Dean threw Cas a questioning look with both eyebrows raised. 

“I didn’t teach her that!” Cas protested. “She never came with me when I visited.” All three men started running, when Dean wondered aloud whether he had put away the stuff from his midday sandwiches. “What did you put on them? Dogs can’t eat too much yeast and grains and stuff like onions and tomatoes is very bad for them!” Cas accelerated as he spoke and Dean followed suit. 

He saw Cas throw open the door and come to a full stop. He barely managed to prevent colliding with the man’s back. When he glanced over Cas’ shoulder, he saw why Cas had put the brakes on so fast. Coming to the darker house from the fading sunlight, Lily was only visible by the tan spot on her butt and the tan paws. When their eyes adjusted to the darker inside lights, they saw that she stood nose to nose with Bunnicula and they both were making soft, adorable noises. 

“Sam,” Dean sighed. “Did you forget to close the bunny cage as well? That rabbit shouldn’t be out here!” Bunnicula cut off any and all protests from Sam by hopping on Lily's lowered back. Balancing on the unstable black fur, he looked Dean up and down, then turned to Cas. He squeaked softly, making Lily huff a breath. 

Sam chuckled low. “Dude… sounds like your pets are sizing you up!” Dean wanted to object, but Bunnicula nodded once, hopped off Lily’s back and zoomed off into the house. Lily gave a soft huff and trotted towards Cas, who gratefully grabbed her leash. While he chided the pup for breaking loose, she slobbered all over his cheeks and neck. 

“Lily, no… I’m trying to… Pfwah! Don’t lick my mouth! Ew!” Cas was struggling to hold his over enthusiastic puppy off. Dean took pity on him and grabbed the purple semi chain collar. 

“That’s it. Stop it! Your dad does not need a bath!” He dragged the strong pup away and pushed on her hind quarters. “Now sit, so he can properly lecture you.” The pup tilted her head at him and sank on her butt, giving Cas big, adoring, brown puppy-eyes. The way that the fully grown man caved for them was adorable to watch. “Lily… you shouldn’t just… aw look at you… yes, I’m angry at you… I can’t just…” Cas heaved a big sigh.* “You’re too cute to stay angry with… yeah, I love you too.” The puppy had leapt up and started licking again.

Sam cleared his throat and said he’d go check the kitchen for Bunnicula. While the giant moose left, Cas stood and wiped his face. “Yes… I think it’s time for us to leave as well.” Dean wanted nothing more than to keep the cute guy around, but he knew he had no right. He stepped closer to say goodbye to Cas for now, when suddenly a force hit him from behind.

He stumbled forwards, tripped over the dog and ended up clinging to a lovely, firm chest. “Oof!” Heat rushed up his cheeks. “I-I’m sorry..” He glanced up, loving the way Cas had reflexively grabbed him by the arms to catch him. Cas looked back down, and was it Dean’s imagination, or were those blue eyes darker, and was that an answering blush on his cheeks?

“Um… That… that’s ok… I-I think Lily tripped you?” Dean licked his lips and nodded. He tried to push off, but there was a weight between his shoulders. “Ehm… I-I can’t..” He struggled, but failed to push himself up. “There… there’s something at my back.” Cas frowned and one of his hands left Dean’s bicep to stroke up Dean’s spine. Dean shivered, but the strange pressure disappeared and he could finally right himself. “That’s better… thanks Cas.” 

Cas smiled shyly at him, his cheeks reddened. Before he could say anything, Sam came wandering back in, holding up something between thumb and index finger. “Dean? Where did this rotten yam come from? It was on the kitchen floor, right next to the stove.” He wrinkled his nose at it. “It smells… and it even seems drained somehow… Oh, and I didn’t see the bunny anywhere.”

Lily’s dark head snapped around and she wriggled free from her collar, rushing along the hallway. Before any of them could react, they heard her heavy paws land on the stairs to the basement. “Lily!” Cas called exasperated. “What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be walking stairs yet! Think of your hips!” 

Dean blinked. Cas had sounded like one of those toddlers and tiaras moms. “Her… hips?” They could vaguely hear snuffling and scurrying down in the cellar, and soon enough the paws came back up. 

“She’s a large breed, Dean,” Cas answered, anxiously watching the cellar door. “Those are prone to developing hip dysplasia if you’re not careful that they don’t overuse them during the first half year. What the…” His blue eyes widened as Lily poked her head around the corner, the bundle of carrots dangling comically from her mouth.

“Guess she wants to find her bunny buddy,” Dean smiled as she trotted past them and dropped the carrots on the floor next to the reading nook. After sitting next to them for a while, head held at an angle (which forcibly reminded Dean of her owner when he was confused) she picked them up again and pitter-pattered to the kitchen, her paws clicking on the floor. While her black and tan butt disappeared into the room, she huffed softly.

“I guess so,” Cas conceded, watching her with a smile. “She sure seems to be looking for him.” A few seconds later Lily reappeared, looking smug. On her back, Bunnicula sat, swaying with her trot. “Oh! Good girl! You found your little pal!” Cas said happily, putting an arm around Dean’s shoulders.

Dean blushed and smiled, while Sam seemed to suddenly develop a ‘fond Mom’ expression. “That’s too cute,” the moose-sized mother-hen muttered, but he didn’t seem to be looking at the animals. 

Blushing furiously, Dean picked up the bunny and looked in its pinkish eyes. “You’re gonna be trouble, huh little bud?” The bunny wriggled its nose at him and blinked. “Oh yeah… definitely trouble.” The bunny gave a satisfied little chirrup, making Lily murr deep in her throat. Cas chuckled as he picked up the leash again. This time he really bade the Winchesters goodbye and walked out of the door. “Wow,” Dean sighed.   


“An interesting day,” Sam agreed and Dean tore his eyes from the back door. “Right. Dinner… Coming up.” Sam just chuckled and took Bunnicula from him, to put back in the cage.


	9. Chapter 9

Dean was starting to dread being alone with Cas in the big house. Not because they couldn’t get along. Not at all. After getting the contract and everything settled, they had commissioned the Novak brothers to renovate the exterior of the big house. So Cas was over almost every day. Dean was steadfastly ignoring his crush, and besides that, Cas and him were starting to become good friends.

It was what happened when they were in the house alone that made Dean uneasy. Random fires were suddenly breaking out, half the place was getting flooded, Cas’ tools were disappearing, making him have to go on a kind of scavenger hunt to get them back. The weirdest part were the dehydrated vegetables they kept finding through the house. Onions, chili peppers and rutabagas. Even a few more spoiled yams. Today seemed pretty tame though. 

It was Saturday and Gabe was at the office, getting a few quotes out, while Sam was in town, trying to find a law firm he could intern at. Dean checked his watch. It was almost ten and Cas had been on the roof since seven thirty. Dean decided he could chance a quick shower. He turned on the hot water and once under the hot spray, worries seemed to melt away. His new job with Benny Lafitte was working out great, and Sam had agreed to move to Lebanon, if Bobby wouldn’t mind. 

So Dean was singing loudly, and probably off-key, along with his playlist via the Bluetooth bathroom speaker while he soaped up. He didn’t notice the door opening, and a utility belt floating in, followed by Bunnicula. The bunny looked up at the floating belt with concentration. The belt rounded the toilet wall, then gently lowered itself behind the closed seat. Bunnicula looked smug as he turned and hopped away. Dean’s playlist ended not long after and he just let the hot water soothe his frayed self esteem. It was ok that Cas was his friend. Not every person was instantly attracted to him. And he shouldn’t let it get him down. Cas was a great buddy. Deep in thought he shut the water off.

Dean also didn’t notice a distraught Cas walking in the open door and searching the bathroom. Dean wrapped his towel around his hips and opened the door. Only to bump into a solid wall of muscle that smelled like the smell after rain. “Dean! I-I’m so sorry…” 

A blush shot up Dean’s cheeks and if the tingling was any indication, also down his chest. Cas stared at him with shocked, wide eyes and an open mouth. “I didn’t realise you were… in here.” Cas was blushing and his eyes were firmly fixed on a point behind Dean. Dean swallowed hard enough to make his throat click.

“Wha-what were you doing here anyway, Cas?” he asked, trying not to stare at those pink lips. Cas helplessly brandished his toolbelt, still looking anywhere but at Dean. Dean frowned at it and shook his head.

“I was looking for this… it… it went missing.” He was almost beet-red by now and his gaze went from the wall to the floor and then the other wall. 

Something caught Dean’s eye while he tried to catch Cas’ gaze. Clutching his towel with one hand, he bent over and picked it up. “Cas, I think we gotta talk, but first I’m gonna get some clothes on. Meet me in the study, please.” 

Cas gladly bowed out and left as if he smelled fire. Which, at this point, wouldn’t surprise Dean anymore. Carefully placing the object he’d picked up to the side, he toweled off and slipped on sweatpants and an old, comfy hoodie. Not the sexiest getup he had, but for once he didn’t care. He grabbed the thing and made his way downstairs.

Almost routinely, Dean scooped up the dried out rutabaga from the hallway floor. “Cas,” he said as soon as he walked into the study. Cas blushed furiously and licked his lips. Dean ignored it and placed the little thing on the desk, slapping the rutabaga next to it. “...I think Gran Millie was right.”

Cas blinked those amazing eyes and tilted his head at the object on the desk. “A…. rabbit dropping?” He took a pencil and poked the little ball like it would explode . Dean nodded.

“Exactly. And this is why I think Gran was right. There is something going on in this house, and our sweet Bunnicula is in the core of it.” He took the drained vegetable and pointed at two holes in it. “Every time we get one of these weird things happening, we find something like this.” He prodded the rubbery veggie with severe distaste. “I blamed Sam for a while, he is the veggiesaurus among us. The traitor.” Cas made a non-committal noise in his throat. “But now I’m starting to think this…” He brandished the rutabaga. “...and that…” He pointed at the toolbelt in Cas’ hand. “...are connected through the bunny.” He stood and started pacing. “How long have I lived here now?”

“Two months, seventeen days,” Cas promptly answered, and immediately started blushing. “I’m not counting… I’m just good with numbers,” he quickly added at Dean’s raised brows. Dean didn’t believe him, or didn’t _want_ to believe him. Because if Cas was counting… Dean didn’t dare dream that big.

Clearing his throat, Dean turned away from Cas before his blush became too obvious. “Anyway… seeing that dropping made me realise we never had to clean Bunnicula’s cage. Not once. I checked it. Believe me… I’m not one to let the poor thing sit in its own filth. I bet that if we went to check on it now, we would find no more than a few droppings. And no pee at all.”

Cas looked sceptical. “That’s impossible. Maybe Sam cleaned it out, and you didn’t notice?” Dean tilted his head, then pouted in thought. “One way to find out.” He grabbed his phone and opened the message app,

Dean quickly closed the app, even though Sam was still typing. He had his confirmation and Sammy was probably being an ass about Dean mentioning Cas or whatever. He’d check it later.

Cas was frowning. “That _is_ strange… Dean, can we go see the cage?” Happy to oblige, Dean opened the door and waved Cas through. Cas blushed a bit again, but he smiled.


	10. Chapter 10

“Dean? Didn’t Sam put the cage in the hallway?” Dean ran to catch up with Cas, carefully hiding the messages he’d opened again from sight. Cas didn’t need to see this.

In the corner where the big, heavy cage had stood, only a few straws were littering the floor. “Fuck… maybe Sam moved it?” Dean offered, but he didn’t believe it himself.

“Ask him… go on,” Cas urged, nudging Dean’s hand still holding the phone. Reluctantly, Dean opened the app once again.

  
A soft sound came from the hallway. Dean lowered his phone and cast a glance at Cas. “I heard it too…” he whispered softly, big blue eyes scared. “May-maybe Sam put it back in there? Should we go see?” 

Dean smiled reassuringly at him. “Nothing to be scared of, bud. It’s just Bunnicula. Even if he is probably a hell-spawned monster… he never hurt us. Or Gran for that matter.” Cas swallowed but nodded. Dean shot Sam a last message before tucking his phone away.

  
  


The grit on the stairs scuffed under their feet as they carefully climbed down into the dark cellar. Dean flicked the light on, and there it was. “Bunnicula? Bunny? You there boy?” Dean felt awkward as he said it. It wasn’t like the bunny could understand, let alone answer him. Suddenly the door slammed shut and Dean could swear he heard a soft, sniggering sniffle. Was that bunny laughing at them?

He ran back up the stairs, and flung himself at the door. Nothing. It was locked. The sniffling, sniggering sound was very close now. Dean made a wild grab and clenched his fist when he met nothing but air. “Locked. Sam’s still got a few more meetings, so he’s gone for hours yet. Did you hear from Gabe?” 

Cas shook his head. “I can call him…” *He took out his phone, but his handsome face fell. “No bars… I think the walls are too thick.” Dean fumbled for his own phone, but the bars were mockingly empty. 

“Crap!” Dean almost threw his phone at the wall. “How the Hell are we supposed to get out of here?” He sank on the bottom stair and put his head in his hands.

Cas sank down on his haunches and put his hand on Dean’s knee. “Dean.” Dean glanced up. “Don’t blame yourself. I think you are right. That bunny has some weird qualities.” The sniggering was back and Dean glared at the dark corner it came from. Cas cupped his cheek and turned Dean’s eyes back on him. “I think Bunnicula might just want his owners to be happy.” 

Dean frowned. “How is setting the kitchen on fire or flooding the dining room making me happy?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Not to mention messing with your tools… All it does is make a mess you have to fix, and…” His voice faded out when he saw the soft smile and warm eyes in front of him.

“Exactly,” Cas nodded. “Bunnicula kept me here. Had he not done those things, however he did them, I would have finished my work on the house a while ago. Somehow he thinks having me here makes you happy?” 

Dean knew he was blushing like a teen girl seeing her celebrity crush in a sexy pose, but he couldn’t stop it. “Well,” he shyly admitted, eyes on the dusty floor. “He ain’t wrong…” He bit his lip as he looked up again. “I really like having you around.”

Cas’ eyes crinkled at the sides and he bent even closer. “I really like being here, Dean,” he whispered, before pressing his lips to Dean’s.

Dean gave the tiniest of surprised moans, then his eyes dropped shut and his hands found their way into soft hair. On the edge of hearing, he heard a satisfied chirrup and the soft click of the cellar door opening. He paid it no heed. Cas was kissing him like his life depended on it. And it was only fair if Dean returned the favour.

When they finally left the cellar, hand in hand and with dopey smiles, Dean heard his phone notification sound go off in rapid succession. He opened the message app and grinned. He shows Cas, who chuckled. “Brothers,” he smiled.

https://i.imgur.com/s4EwUi8.jpg


	11. Chapter 11

**EPILOGUE**

“Dean! That bunny broke loose again! Come get your weird ass cony!” The bellow Gabriel gave across the lawn, made Dean chuckle. He opened the double patio door and jogged towards his double brother in-law. 

“Heya Gabe.” Gabriel glared at him, Bunnicula sitting on the box at his feet. “Hey bunny boy… up to your tricks again? What was it this time?” 

Gabriel tossed him a big, yellow ‘tennis’ ball. “He somehow got this big thing here.” He gave the bunny a nasty look. “I’m still documenting what vegetables have what effect on him. I’m still reeling from sugar beets. I never saw a bunny that fast. Or hyperactive.”

Dean chuckled and took the bunny from his brother in-law. “Ah… I can help you there, Curious Kathy. He left us a rutabaga in the kitchen. Rutabagas seem to give him some telekinetic power. It’s how he hid all of Cas’ tools when he was trying to get us together.”

Cas and Dean had decided to tell their brothers about Bunnicula, since they would be dealing with the critter too. Especially since Cas moved in with Dean and Sam and Gabriel moved into the smaller house, after they came clear that they had been dating for a while already.

It seemed Lily had some kind of connection with the bunny, because whenever Bunnicula was pulling his tricks, Lily would be nearby and somehow, the little Rottweiler pup was able to curb the most extravagant effects of the supernatural bunny’s diet. As long as he had carrots, Bunnicula would be ok. And Lily seemed to know just where to find them. So when Dean came home to a bunny with enormous feet, Lily came trotting along, carrot dangling from her mouth. That moment was also what started Gabriel’s investigation. He thought it hilarious that squash could do that to the poor thing.

Dean took both bunny and ball and thanked Gabe. “I knew you were going to be a bunch of trouble. Didn’t I say it? I did. C’mon, you. Lily will have a carrot for you.” As he came to the doors, Cas pushed them open.

At the sight of his husband, holding their dog’s giant tennis ball in one hand, and their wayward, supernatural bunny in the other, he burst out giggling. “Never a dull moment with you two,” he chuckled.

  
  
A floor plan for the main house 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was it.  
> Hugs to Captain Bunnicula. Hope you like your gift, sweeting. 
> 
> And of course many thanks to all who read, gave kudos and commented!  
> Big, Dutch hugs!


End file.
